HR2: Get Your Rankings Here!

Published Dec 10, 2024, 10:00 PM
Fantasy playoffs are here, Matt and Dale share some pointers heading into the postseason. The guys also break down the current NFL power rankings.

At least he's the drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on your twenty four to seven Home of the Black and Gold cast in Steelers Nation Radio.

Welcome back. I am Dale LOLLI he is the Matt Williamson and this is the Drive on the Steelers Audio Network. And Matt, Well, we're into on the week fifteen.

Yeah, it's a fantasy playoff time.

Which means that is fantasy playoff week. So before we get into that too deeply here, let's look ahead at the schedule here.

Yeah, I don't know it great yet.

And see who plays where and when, and there's nobody on a buy.

You talk about streaming defenses that we're doing, We're.

Streaming defense is looking at a proper matchups here that we think you can exploit. Yeah, Thursday night, everything kicks off with the Rams at the forty nine Ers.

Good one. I mean definitely we're gonna go home for the Niners. The little that they have left is clinging by.

A threat that could be a high scoring affair.

That could be a high scoring affair. I think so too. I mean the Rams are humming right now. Familiarity. I don't think I want either defense I.

Don't want to either a defense in that that could be thirty one to thirty.

Yeah.

Yeah. The Cowboys are at the Panthers. How about this one. Carolina's favored for the first time this year. They've played better and better.

Yeah, I probably would take Dallas, but I mean, I don't think Dallas was bad last night.

I don't want to start either defense, so I.

Don't think we think that's gonna be high scoring. Moderately, Panthers have been putting points on the board. Yeah, absolutely, I'm thinking about Parson sacks and things like that. But they protect well and get it out. I don't love either defense.

The Cowboys moved the ball well enough last night against Oh yeah.

Yeah, they're trying to run the ball. Yeah, doubt el it's been good.

The Chiefs are at the Browns.

I think it's no and no Chiefs. Steed's probably okay, probably an interception and maybe US at home though place better. I know. I say he's gonna throw, He's gonna score points and throw your special this week. Browns win that one.

Browns might win that one.

I don't think the Browns are a pushover.

No, especially in their stadium.

I bet it's four or five point spread something like that.

More than that six and a half, is it really Yeah, I would definitely take the points.

Yeah, I thought it should be like three. Uh.

The Dolphins are at the Texans usually defense, but I like.

What Miami's doing a lot, and it's not gonna be a weather game obviously. Yeah, Miami's d has been okay.

I think there'll be some points in that game.

I do too. I don't like either one of those. I a couple of these teams. I think I mentioned it yesterday. I if so, I apologize, but I think a late buye is going to be good for Baltimore, Houston, a couple of these teams that are talented in the mix that are continuing to make some of the same problems like penalties or pass protection. You know, assignments have been bad. You weather the all week stretch, but now you get that late by you could figure some things.

The problem with the buye and the coaching staff may figure some things out. But because of the way these things are built.

Now, it's not like they're in their grind and you don't really get a chance to practice right during that bye week, and maybe because you're so beaten up at this point in the season.

You don't want to practice.

Oh, I bet just get away. Yeah.

The Jets are at the Jaguars, playing the Jets defense, not playing the Jags.

No, I guess Jags Jets versus Mac Jones. I guess is okay. Not a lot of trust in that team overall, though.

No, no, no. The Commanders are at the Saints.

I don't think cars gonna play.

I don't think he is either, so I would.

Say Commander's d Yeah, he is a sneaky streamer. Not the Saints seed. No, no, no.

The Ravens are at the Giants where you're gonna play. You're gonna play the Ravens already fourteen and they're already fourteen and a half point favorites, and it probably goes up up.

I bet it. Yeah, Giants.

The kind of game that the Ravens go in and just blow the doors off.

Yeah, and just run all over a non dexter Laurence. It looks great and everybody.

Starts talking about all the Mars the MVP again when he played a bad Giants team.

Yeah, was trying to lose. But no, Ravens d for sure.

The Bengals are at the Titans.

Those are two No. No, Bengals D is too bad last night wasn't hideous, but they're too bad for me to ever Yeah, check that Mark Fen a playoff matchup.

I might start the Titans because Joe Burrow gets hit.

He does get hit and he's he hurts.

And the other thing about this is, don't forget Tennessee's head coach Callahan.

Oh yeah, was their coach was massive familiarity.

Yeah, there's a big familiarity there. They're not going to like the Titans D. I just don't know that Zach Taylor is how can I put this kindly? I don't know that he's smart enough to not kind change things up, change things up and goes well. But I called the player, Yeah yeah, he was my offensive coordinator. But I called the place, so he really doesn't know.

Yeah, I don't know. Burrow scared. I mean, I think there could be sacks and stuff like that.

But Burrow got beat up again last night big time.

I don't know if he'll play week eighteen. That's a side note.

Yea.

His body's going to be really sore by then. He's nursing a handful of things.

His house got robbed last night?

Did it really? Yeah, the Batman bild.

He doesn't have that yet apparently, but there's apparently the NFL Center. The NFL sent out a memo to all the teams two weeks ago that there's a a crew that apparently is targeting NFL players houses.

Okay, so when they know if you get.

A standalone game, like, well, I know where Joe Burrow is going to be at at eight o'clock on Monday night, pretty safe that there's gonna he's not gonna be there. And they they've been breaking into two NFL players houses.

I would think NFL players have really good security.

He would think, yeah, right, But if they're traveling, this happened to somebody else earlier this season, So these guys are all actually thinking this out. It's a high tech organization of some type.

So I'm trying to think like a master criminal here.

First of all, just imagine if criminals like that put their minds to doing something positive.

Well, hey, you know, just be good at whatever you're good at. I mean, it doesn't I.

Could do something much more positive that might help you manage That doesn't land my button jail eventually.

Yeah, but being with the Browns. And I'm sure you know this from just being close to Steelers. So many of these guys, of course aren't from the city that drafts them. Correct, And these teams have services, Like Courtney Brown lived next to our head coach. Like there was a neighborhood of all the rich Browns. You know, they all lived on the same street. And they all were set up through the league or through the team. Yeah, I bet they all have the same security systems. That's what I'm going with it. Like, if I can get the inside scoop, I can knock out all the Browns at once, you know what I mean? Yeah, inside stuff inside it like a criminal. Apparently you're better at that than me. Thanks.

Where are we at here?

So Burrow got Robin. I'm not playing anither one those I.

Don't want to play either one of those defenses. But if I had to play one, and I'm not seeing a lot of streamers on here.

It's not been good so far. I mean, I like the Titans, d I just love the Bengals.

I think, and I think the Titans. The Titans may run the ball all day Long's Cincinnati's defense that might light.

End up being a Pallar should have a Nights game.

It might be a little slower scoring game than what the Bengals are used to. And when they've actually won games, for the most part, they haven't given up a bunch of points. Last night was the most points they've given up. I believe in a win this year, they might have twenty four against somebody earlast year.

Okay, you're saying so they do.

I don't know. I just think that it might get held down a little bit maybe, And they just played Monday night on the road, a road game. Yeah.

Uh.

The Patriots are at the Cardinals.

I guess the Cardinals d's but it's starting to look pretty rough and beat up. But you start everyone basically against the Patriots, I'd say, like Drake may is kind of a sneaky start coming off a bye. I'm not starting to Patriots D No, no, no, no, no no. The cults are at the Broncos. Broncos's gonna start with the Broncos are in we start. I don't love the Colts either. I mean, we're not coming up with twelve, That's what I'm saying. The Titans don't look so bad, I hear you, right. Uh, the Bills are at the Lions. No, no, no, yeah, what's over and a ackag yeah one hundred.

The Buccaneers are at the Chargers.

Chargers, that's a good offense. You're counting on pretty bad this year, it's been pretty bad. Yeah, but without Conky, they don't have much teeth. There'll be points in the game. There'll be points in that game like you don't have. I mean, Herbert will be fine. Yeah, Chargers are hard to bench.

Steel are at the Eagles.

Not the Steelers, I mean, I mean they're better than on most of the ones we've mentioned. I think this can not the best matchup for I think this could be a lower scoring game a key and I know it's only Tuesday. It might be like twenty to seventeen. Or I wonder what kind of weather or in some of these towns it's going to be. Maybe you can sneaky get some bad weather game.

Weather isn't supposed to be an issue in Philadelphia.

I know, I just mean across for all.

I haven't looked at all that, but I know in this game, weather's not going to be an issue.

Okay, I don't love, I don't love either, but I think you could do worse. I'mhat cutting either one of these guys. You know, you'd definitely cut them and there could be sacks. The Packers are at the Seahawks. I don't love that either. Right. SEATTLE'SD I think is one of the best in the league.

But I'm not starting to against the Packers.

No, but it's probably in the top twelve. I think some of these ones you just have on your roster and you live with it and buy the bullet.

Although I will say this one strategy to take into a postseason game because you're in the playoffs, if you're the lower seeded team and you and you do waiver priorities, Yeah, you could easily say cut the Eagles defense this week because you didn't want to play. I'm just throwing that one. Yeah, yeah, where the Steelers did you didn't want to play last week? You're gonna have first priority next week and you just pick them back up if that if.

Yeah, yeah, you have free reigns to go in and out. Yeah, that's a good point.

Two Monday night games next week.

Yeah, they're not great.

And one of eight thirty Bears at Vikings, you're gonna play the Vikes d all day. Long Vikings defense. The Bears haven't won on a road game all.

Year, haven't the wow and they're in shambles too. I mean yeah, I almost feel for him. That guy was a position coach three three weeks ago, became a coordinator, became a head coach, Like, come on.

Man, the Vikings made Curb stomp them in this one, little Stroyer.

Yeah, but the Bears d used to be good. But I can't play.

I can't hold it up. It's just on the field too much. And the other game, the eight to thirty game is Falcons at Raiders.

Like Falcons and Commanders were the two bad defenses that are playing.

Falcons have the most saxon league, yet half of.

The passer a little bit. Yeah, you hope Kirk Cousins will throw picks and.

It may not even aid and O'Connell may not be ready to play, so you be shocked for you, So you may be looking at.

But those are like the only streamers. Yeah I heard, you know the guys that are probably out there. Yeah, Commanders and Falcons. It's better than some of those good ones. There's a lot of good teams playing good teams.

Yeah, that's the thing, right, that time of the year here where they're starting to get the matchups.

And like you're happy about the owning the Seahawks to you, but now you've got the Packers. Yeah, you know.

Yeah, so you can also take a little look ahead at this time of year and try to plan things out.

Yeah yeah, playoffs obviously, right, Yeah, you're.

And it's not the worst idea to look at your opponent or your future opponents or potential future opponents and block them.

Yeah. They're definitely some blocking playing some defense. I think.

Is it's that time that you like, you're not you're not going to use your number four wide receiver. So if your opponent's missing a running back, his star running like pick up, block him on it.

Yeah, I mean, if you got a ton of fab why are you sitting on it?

Yeah.

If you happen to be like the first team, the one that just got into the playoffs, grab the best guy and don't start him, you know whatever, Right, you're just blocking.

You don't want to play against him.

Right, I Mean, I'm not big on this strategy, but there is one league I'm probably gonna do it because I just Brooks and Goddard just went to ir there's nobody I really wanted out there, and like Winston is clearly the best quarterback. I don't need them, but like I got an ir spot and someone's not anyone else to have them, right, Yeah, I pick up a third quarterback just so he doesn't go anywhere else.

You know, somebody else beat you with him? Yeah, I mean with a game like it had against the Broncos and throws for yeah, touchdown, right.

I mean it's kind of a quarterback starved league and for whatever reason, and he's still sitting out there and he's the best guy out there, Like, yeah, better than having an empty rosters.

Looking at some of those uh waiver wire pickups this week, Bigsby still only rushed in forty six percent of leagues.

I think he should be in all he should be in there. Yeah, I mean he got the ball of the carriage.

They're not great, but no, here's what he's got. The next couple. He's got the Jets this week, Okay, they're not great against the run.

No, who knows what their motivation is to.

Next week the Raiders good and then the Titans again. Okay, so it's not a bad schedule. No, No, I would think you want to feature him too if you're the Jags. Uh. We talked about this guy last week, and we got a better look at what he does since here McCormick fifteen percent rostered he should be in all. That was up from like one percent last week.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean just because no one know who's ever heard of him.

But yeah, yeah, no, I mean they would be dumb not to run him the.

Rest of the way.

Yeah.

Man, he can catch them all a little bit too. And you know, here's their schedule Atlanta nice, Jacksonville real nice at New Orleans.

Huh okay, that's three pretty good defense is a run against now Ritter maybe the quarterback. Yeah, that's the only problems the flying the ointment there. Although at some point O'Connell's got a bone bruise, maybe misses this week, maybe he's back against Jacksonville, or maybe they say, you know what, we're in the number one quarterback slot right now, we're in a number one we get the number one overall pick. Let's not mess that up.

Yeah. Yeah, although they could still win one of those games. I mean, that's not the worst schedule in the world.

He's not, but they they've got a one game lead on those teams.

But you know, you know, all right, so if you if you beat if you beat Atlanta, or you beat New Orleans, so be it. You don't want to beat Jacksonville right now you get the tie breaker against them, so they won. The Giants probably sneak into that one. Yeah, then too, It's like Michael Mayer may be worth picking up. We'll get to that just I'm just thinking sneaky Raiders because of the schedule, maybe because my even rock Buyers are in the league.

Isaiah Davis is eleven percent rostered.

They have a feeling they're gonna split.

I think Breesall is back, yeah, and that he goes away. I would think, uh, Julian McLaughlin thirteen percent rostered. He should be roster more than that.

I would think that's just a big committee there though.

It is. But estimate seems to kind of it was.

A flash in the pan, I think. But they're coming off a bye, do they look at things differently? I don't know.

They've got Indianapolis, the Chargers in Cincinnati coming up.

Mm, so it's not in mine Cincy. I don't like the Chargers.

Yeah, Indy's okay, right, Yeah, they get all those tackles, but they're all right field, right. Kendre Miller four percent rostered. He gets some run last week.

Yeah, I think this staft's excited about him. I don't know why you beat up Kamar at this stage of the game. But they're not a very good offense.

Yeah, they got Washington at Green Bay and then.

Vegas, and I think Spencer Rattler's wuld have started for New Orleans. Yeah, Okay, you're right, I'm not ridder, but they may. I'm not sure if it's gonna be him whenever we get somebody.

Else on the roster too.

He's not the two on game day. But when Carr was out, they made.

They took it. They wanted to take a look, and they they took the look, and I don't know that it was around.

So I don't know who the swords would Be's not gonna be good. Yeah, Patrick Taylor four percent rostered. Maybe Grendo's hurt, right. I get the impression they're going to committee it more than Shanahan does so far down.

Yeah, but he was the guy they activated last week.

Yeah, I don't know. He might be.

He might be get the most of that committee I would.

Think, but a sneaky move. I didn't realize it, but he was getting picked up in everyone in my dynasty league. Is is he ab a Conda? Is they picked him up off the Jets protice they signed him? Yeah a week ago, right, and he is a perfect fit for a Shanahan offense. But I mean, I don't know. Yeah, I've been a Niner for ten days or something.

They get the Rams at the Dolphins and in Detroit, so not great, not great.

I don't know how much Grendo's gonna miss.

Wide receiver Elijah Moore is still just twenty two percent rostered Tilman never coming back. I would assume he's back this week soon.

Yeah, I thought it would be back last week. Maybe. I mean that's still more if they threw the ball.

Time at Kansas or they got Kansas City at home this week at Cincinnati and in Miami.

I mean he's he's more of a bye week guy and we're out of that. Yeah, but who knows. Maybe it hit hard with injuries.

I can't go to Valdez Scantling because their quarterback situations.

Yeah, just when he was kind of emerging.

Quentin Johnston's forty percent rostered.

It's just the fact that somebody has sketch the ball. Yeah, and he does have talent, he's never I don't think he'll ever live up to his draft slot.

I like, I like the next guy better, Josh Palmer six sixteen percent roster. I just trust him more.

I would bet, Butconkey's back, and he was like a game time decasion.

And Palmer's been that. He's the guy who's been there with Herbert the longest.

Yeah, so no, I prefer Johnson. Yeah.

They got Tampa, Bay, Denver, New England not great, Rashaw Bateman twenty five percent rostered.

And Deontay is not in the mix. But yeah, I feature the tight end.

That's a complete dart, that's a DFS play.

You're just hoping, Yeah, I never. I guess say the Giants this week.

Ray Ray McCleod eighteen percent rostered.

It's on the field a lot.

I got Vegas, the Giants in Washington coming up.

And Pitts isn't getting the ball. It's going to him. Yeah. I mean the thing is, though, I mean we're out of bye weeks. I mean, you're never gonna start. You're never gonna start any these guys. I mean you were talking about cutting your fourth receiver. These guys are six receivers.

Yeah. He did have a twenty nine point seven percent target share last week. Yeah, but that was because that's the Vikings. The Vikings are blitzing like crazy. You're getting the ball at w to get hit and right, Yeah, he gets a ball. But how are you gonna use them?

Yeah?

Xavier Leaguett is twenty eight percent roster. They got Dallas, Arizona, Tampa Bay. That's a nice schedule of.

All the names. I kind of like that one. Yeah, I mean they want to play him. I think Theelan's in a couple of leagues still out there. Shouldn't be shouldn't be.

No, uh, looking at the tight ends, Juwan Johnson ten percent roster, I can't go there with the quarterback situation. Hunter Henry still forty rostered.

It's okay, yeah, too touchdown dependent for my liking. But right, that's what you're hoping for. Tight Ends are grim just grim, Yeah, brutal. I mean, of course, no one cares about my fantasy team. But it was two weeks ago I had Goddard and he was looking good, so I put in for Taysom Hill. I'm like, why is he out there? I'm steel him for the rest of my league. They both go out for the year the same Sunday. There's nothing out there, So I pick up Johnson from the Saints. He was fine this week and then his his guy's gone to Grand Calc. There's like nothing out there.

The backup tight end for the Chargers with the Yeah, yeah.

He's interested in his name. He's got a good name.

It's like Stone or something whatever it is. I can't think of the name.

Smart.

Yeah, there he goes smart, he flashes, he flashes, He's he's got, you know, a tight end.

This Ley's out somebody. Yeah that's not bad. That's a good DFS pick. Yeah yeah, So keep an eye on that one. But that's gonna do it for the Fantasy Football focus for today. If you're in your playoffs, good luck. If you're not in your playoffs, don't pick up guys.

It drives me nuts. But yeah, if you're you have nothing to play for. Stop you're not playing anymore. Go play DFS. But anyways, I'm Dale LOLLI. He is Matt Williamson. This is the Drive on the Steelers Audio Network. We'll be back with more right after this.

This is the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on your twenty four to seven Home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

And we are back. I am Dale Lolly, he is the Matt Williamson and you're listening to the Drive here on the Steelers Audio Network. And Matt, it is Power Ranking Day.

Yeah, let's do it.

Take a look at Eric ed Holmes Power rankings here on NFL dot com, and we have a new number thirty two, No Jags one.

Jaguars one wasn't the most pressive win of all time, but when does a win? Giants have to be last?

Now at number thirty two, down one spot are the New York I can't call them the New York Football Giants because they really don't play football anymore. They're just the giants.

Do you think he gets fired? No? I don't either. I think he gets another shot. Yeah, but I bet there's wholesale I bet there's changes.

There's changes. Yeah, it has to be at thirty one, down a spot.

Raiders, They're raiders. Okay.

This is what's killing the Steelers right now, right in terms.

Of it, because well, the Bengal went helped. The Bengal went helped last night. But the Steelers are right now into three spot, even though they have the same record as the Bills, because of it goes to like the fourth tiebreaker, strength of victory. Yeah, yeah, so that means a lot. Yeah, it'd be nice that the Bills lose in Detroit.

At thirty down two spots the Tennessee Titans.

Are they worse than the Jags?

I know they just played and they were worse on Sunday.

Yeah, I'm fine with it. Yeah.

At twenty nine up three spots are the Jaguars. I mean, you just beat them. They'll play the rematch in a few weeks.

And yeah they'll end up thirty one or whatever. Yeah.

At twenty eight up a spot, New England.

Just by sitting around watching these guys be bad, I guess yeah, out.

Of sight, out of mind. At twenty seven holding steady are the New York Jets.

That's how bad they are. They're slightly better than that group we just talked about that are all really bad first overall type teams.

One of the New York writers, I think it was Networks and Semini went through and looked this is the worst combined record for the two New York teams in over fifty years.

I can't get much worse.

They're awful.

Yeah, it's bad for do better New York. Yeah.

At twenty six, holding steady the Carolina Panthers, we even have them better. They played well the last month. It's been a month of have won, which is good for them. Over away, they took the Eagles down to the brink. To talk about the Eagles for quite a while. Yeah, they had their quarterback. So actually, if anywhere they finished in the top ten, they're going to be happy. They don't need to be number one.

Right, right right, I would have a massive offseason dedicated to defense.

At twenty five, holding steady the Browns.

Those two teams are okay. They can hang with good teams.

At twenty four, down a spot the Chicago Bears.

I think they're in a miserable spot. They've shown glimpses, but this was as bad a game. They can't win a road game. Yeah, and not only do they not win the road games, they get crushed in these road games. I think I'd have the Browns and Carolina ahead of them.

Remember when when the draft happened, Oh, Caleb Williams is in the perfect landing spot.

And the best situation ever, best situation.

Look, they went and got these receivers and it's great and it's fantastic and lah bla blah, and they're the number twelve team and they power rankings and they stink and they're terrible. Right, maybe it is the Bears and not the quarterbacks.

Same with the Jets. And I mean there's some these iconic giants and some of these iconic franchises can kind of sit on their laurels and make a ton of money, and three.

Years from now they will be drafting again in the top ten and taking another quarterback and getting rid of Caleb Williams.

And fire the coach that you know the year after. Yeah, I mean I make coaching changes that they made.

Yuck twenty three up a spot the Saints.

Yeah, but now if cars out, I don't think they beat the Browns or no, right, I mean, they've done some good things since their coaching change.

But I think that ships all they did was beat the Giants on a blockfield goal. Yuck twenty two down a spot, Dallas.

It's about where they're at. Their ownership might be taking a similar path by the way, just being rich and happy.

At twenty one up a spot the Bengals, they very easily could have lost that game.

Le they absolutely could have. That was a total coin for game and came on the goofy punt, the punt getting blocked against you. People were complaining about that on I can't believe that. You know they blocked the punt, and you know because Dallas touched it. It's just say it went past the line of scrimmage. It's not technically not even a blocked punt. It's a deflected kick right right, So someone just got a fingertip at it the line of scrimmage once it goes past Calvin Austin and he fumbles it, the same thing.

Once it goes past the line of scrimmage, all the.

Same rules apply exactly exactly. I mean again, someone comes in tips the ball and it's coming right to Calvin Austin. He can still return it for a touchdown, right or muffett or fumble it or do what everyone you know, right, how do you not? You gotta know that rule?

You got you saw immediately their special teams coach as soon as he saw the block starts waving his hands. Nobody touch it. Nobody touch it. Somebody touched it.

It's that igaboggin in the corner that was drafted really late, but in the first round by the Dolphins. I guess they's pulled him up off the practice squad. I mean, has he ever been on the punt team? I don't know. I'm not going to look that much into it, but you got to know those things.

Yeah, I mean i'd get at the balls rolling rate at you and bouncing at you, and he's there, and if he recovers it, he's a hero, right because they're basically almost in field goal range with less than two minutes left. I don't give anyone a hard time for fielding that ball reacting in the moment. If it's perfect, yeah, if it's like this thing just hit me right in the chest, I could take the house great. But it was like, you know, like, no, it's rough, runaway and someone's yelling fire, fire, fire, get away from this thing. Yeah. At twenty down a spot, Atlanta.

They're soft and they keep losing. Yeah, or do yeah? Yeah?

At nineteen down a spot, Miami.

Defense wasn't great. I mean the guy took a step backwards. The passing game has been really good. Yeah. I might have them ahead of like the Colts. They're going to lose this week.

Who they have a Denver probably, No, they're in Houston, Atlanta's Yeah, Yeah, they are in Houston. Yeah, they're gonna lose. There be a lot of points. At eighteen. They're in Denver, eighteen, down a spot. I know, Indianapolis is in Houston and Miami's in Dent No, I get that.

I get the Miami's playing Houston.

Yeah, Indianapolis is down a spot at eighteen. Okay, they're playing Indianapolis is playing Denver. Yeah, in Denver they are. They're gonna lose. I agree, but I think out of Miami over Indy. I don't know, dude. The Colts looked like after the bye richardson seventeen up three spots San Francisco.

They deserve to move up. I mean, they destroyed a bad team. I would haven't had all these teams.

Sixteen down a spot Arizona.

I may even have them lower. I think it's just getting to the point where we don't have any good players. You know that they can only mask this thing and massage this thing so.

Long at fifteen, up a spot, the Rams.

That's how i'd power rank that division, though I might have the Niners ahead of the Cardinals.

At fourteen, down a spot, Tampa Bay.

These are all about the same. Yeah, a lot of five hundred Yeah, yeah, playoff fringe guys. At thirteen, up a spot, Seattle, they would be number one of anyone we've talked about so far, but their old line is still bad. And now we're into the top twelve. These are the sort of good teams. Yeah, the next four or five will be okay.

At twelve Houston, who knows.

Yeah, again out of sight, out of mind. But I think that's good for.

That Two big ones coming up here toward the end of the season, Kansas City and Baltimore coming up that same week that the Christmas rotation. Yeah, yeah, they can't lose them both.

Criss Cross Apple Sauce Christmas.

There's still only two games ahead of Indianapolis.

Like now, I guess they could still squander it away. Yeah.

At eleven, holding Steady Washington.

I worry about them, though I don't I think they're a better version of Arizona. They don't have a lot of really good players.

They get in New Orleans this week though, So they're going to make the playoff, Yeah, I think so.

Yeah.

At ten, holding Steady Denver good.

They're better than everybody listened. They're better than Texans right now.

As long as they don't have to have Levi Wallace on the field.

I don't know what Moss status. I don't know if it's bad or yeah, but I didn't look into it. But they're coming up a bye.

At nine holding Steady the Chargers.

Yeah, Chargers vers Denver is really close to me. Yeah, I like the Charges better, similar makeup, but lack of weapons in LA worries.

Yeah, and then you're into your top eight, and I think the top eight are the teams that can.

They're the good teams.

They're the good teams. At eight, Baltimore agreed. At seven, down a spot is green Bay.

I say where you had on Baltimore versus Green Bay. I was about to ask that I didn't know they were seven.

It would depend on where the game was played.

Yeah, I think Baltimore's best day is better than green Bay's best day, but their worst days are bad, right, the inconsistencies, they're very rough. Yeah.

At six, up a spot, the Steelers.

Okay, Steelers versus Chiefs and Vikings is a conversation.

I think the Steelers are better than the Chiefs.

I lean that way too, and I think they might be better than the Vikings.

Too at five holding steady the Vikings.

Okay, figured as much. Chiefs are probably four.

At four down two spots Buffalo.

Oh that's rough. I have a problem with that. I mean you, there's no shaming knowing this. Losing to Stafford, I mean one game.

What if they go to Detroit this weekend, also lose if it's.

A similar fifty to forty nine type game.

Now that you're starting to wonder about that defense.

A little bit, a little my, Okay, here's a bigger conversation. I think the Bills. I used to be really hard on them for not knowing what city they live in, you know, like, yeah, you need to be and you need all start, you need Bettis, you need to be a power team. Well they fixed it on offense, but there's still a Nickel finesse Von Miller front seven.

You try to sack the quarterback and they don't really have.

A nose, you know, like in the Rams. Like, I have no problem losing to the Rams when you run into a Hall of Fame type quarterback that is dotting eyes left and right and lighten me up. Okay, But when Kyraen Williams is just ripping through you for six yards of carry too, you didn't fix That's what worries me about the defense. Yeah, you know they don't stop the run real well, you're just light and you play a nickel all the time, you know. Yeah, but it's weird, I think Josh Allen rightfully. So his MVP case went up with a loss. Yeah, but I just go up with another loss in Detroit.

I've just been thinking, like, how would Buffalo match up against the Steelers if the Steelers came out in twelve personnel?

Right, they stay in their nickel probably probably?

Okay, when what happens when the Steelers come out in thirteen persons right right? Right now? What you stand in that nickel?

Well, I mean I have I'm sure the Chiefs and those guys are taking notice too. That's if the Bills I had the Chiefs, I would too, And Bills are four right, the Chiefs are not been mentioned? Yeah?

Yeah at three upper spot are the Chiefs?

Okay? I mean they've been hard on the Bills.

They've been skating on the edge all season long.

There's an art to that, but they got some issues at two up a spot Philadelphia, Yeah, would the Lions still ahead of them?

And Detroit is one.

Lions d though is worse than either Philly units.

The problem is the conundrum that you have against Detroit is though they can do this, they can skate by with that defense because they're gonna score a bunch of points. They're kind of getting a lot of other They're kind of built like the Bills used to be built, except they can run the football.

Yeah, they're they play power football, yeah, you know, and then they learned to play physical defense and big, tough offensive line and tackling Montgomery gets old and all that.

Suff they can win the time of possession against you and.

Their decoordinators getting a lot out of those guys. Yeah, And I don't know who's coming I'd have to really study it, but I don't know who's going to come back. Who's got for the year off that defense? You know, Lee McNeil and Branch got hurt last week they out extended stretches.

I don't know, Yeah, I mean that's the one was the one concern I had about Branch. And I love Branch in the draft.

Oh yeah, but he's not the biggest guy and throws the body around. The lion Scrimmer is a lot right right, plays a really physical style, sure, which you love. But these guys don't last usually either. Yeah.

So but that's the that's Eric at Holmes Power Rankings.

You know, the Steelers a little higher. I would have them in the AFC. I'd have behind the Bills, ahead of the Chiefs. Yeah, but right next to the chief I mean we're not far.

Yeah, the Vikings.

I'm respecting the Viking.

Yeah, I've been rough on the Vikings, but they just keep winning.

They keep winning, and Donald is good and they got a lot of weapons.

Now they get some games coming up here that they're not going to finish with two losses.

I'm sure they won't.

They're not going to win that division.

But i mean, like we do Power ranks every Tuesday, most Tuesdays, I say, Minnesota is a little too high. Now, I'm like, no, they belong with this crew. I think they're a pretty darn good team.

Yeah, they get the Bears this week, Okay, they should win that.

Yeah, it was at home. That's a Monday night er.

Then they got to go to Seattle.

That's tough one. That's a tough one because the thing that worries me about Minnesota and it showed up against Atlanta. Their protection is not very good. You know, they're missing Darris Saw. The interior wasn't great, like Seattle will light them up. Yeah.

Then they get the Packers at home, and they finish up at Detroit.

Oh, those last three are hard. Yeah. Those are all playoffs three playoff teams.

Yeah.

Yeah, and you know they're probably two and two rest away.

Donald could turn into a pumpkin and then.

He could he could. I have a feeling he's be pretty richest offseason.

I just don't trust him.

Trust is a big word. Yeah.

Yeah, but now right now they deserve to be five.

Yeah, I mean versus Steelers is a conversation too.

Yeah. But I would have I would I would have can't.

Yeah, I think I'd have the Vikings ahead the Packers.

I get the Kansas City's twelve and one, and of course fantastic, that's awesome, But they don't pass the eye test. They just don't.

They don't. And I had a problem with Oh, they got lucky with Matthew right now, it went between the uprights. They got lucky with the bad snap. Maybe they had something to do with the block kick, but that's fringe. Yeah, the fact that it hit the upright, it went in. If that's not luck, I mean he made the kick, you know that. I don't have a problem with that. But you know, like the botch snap, and you should have a Raiders loss on your resume, which would taste a lot different.

A lot different.

Right, talked to Baltimore about that one, right, right, right, that's one of the raiders two wins this year. Exactly over the in Baltimore. We talked about the Raiders half an hour ago in this statement.

You can't lose those, yes, but they should have lost that game. That's the that's the one you know in the past. Last year, for example, you hear it from Steelers, well, you shouldn't lose to the Patriots, you shouldn't lose the Cardinals back to back games. That's kind of what the Ravens did this year.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a similar stretch.

You know, at least, as you know, the Steelers lost to a decent Colts team in their place. Yeah, yeah, you know, and you lost to the Cowboys when they were better than now, better than they are right now for sure. Yeah yeah, and way better than their real down time. That's why you went to Russell Wilson at quarterback. By the way, you only scored seventeen points in that game against the Cowboys at home.

Yeah, yea yeah, you gotta do better. And frankly, the Browns loss doesn't bother me that much either. Short week, short week, in a brutal place, and you didn't play great you Yeah, that's okay.

So anyways, that was Eric ed Holmes Power Rankings. Let's get to a break. He is the Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lallie, and this is the drive on the Steelers off network, Matt, and now I'll be back to finish up the show right after this.

At least, he's the drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on your twenty four to seven home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

And we are back. I am Dale Lolly. He is the Matt Williamson and Matt was just looking here at We just went over Eric at Holmes NFL Power Rankings on NFL dot Com and he had the interesting little thing here leading off his power rankings, and it's the best one score records in the league.

Philly is really good, by the way.

Yeah, they're seven and one. The Chiefs are number one one loss, right, ten and oh. And that's the thing though, So they're twelve and one overall, but they're ten and oh in one score games.

I mean they've played a ton of one score games, is the point? Yeah, right, so this is a weird conversation. But one score games to me is eight points.

Right, that's what he's considering this.

But I kind of can't think that's two scores. I mean, that's how everyone does it. But that's a pretty big gap. I mean most games are divided by by eight points, you know, which I almost think like three point game would be a better barometer, and nobody does it that way. No, you know, even a six point game, because I mean if someone's a seven and a half point favor you're like, well, that's a lot of points. Well it's still a one point one score game, you know. I Mean, if you push on it or whatever, it can be a little misleading. But the Chiefs play a lot of close games.

The Eagles are seven and one in such games, they're eleven and two overall. The Vikings are seven and one in those games. They're eleven and two overall. The Lions are six and one in one score games. They're twelve and one overall. Okay, so they've just blown the doors. Yeah, did you say the Chiefs have played ten ten? I bet they're in near the top of the league. A number of games played in the since he's probably high two number of one's not the record. A number of games. I bet they're near the top, yes, since you would have to be yes, closed.

Yeah.

The point differentials, they're plus three now and they're five and eight.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

The Packers are five and three in one score games. They're nine and four overall. The Steelers are six and three in one score games. They're ten and three overall.

I mean with them, you had two three point losses. Yeah, you know, like so you lost and.

The other one was five.

Yeah. Yeah.

The Ravens in one score games, I bet they're bad. We think they are.

They're eight and five overall, six and three, six and four, five and five yeah, okay, I almost they're gonna say under five hundred. But I'm like I can't be they have a wining.

Re close enough. The Bills have only played five one score games. They're ten and three overall.

They lost one this last week.

They're three and two.

Okay, they blow people out. I mean the fact that they only played five.

And they also got blown out, you know, one of those losses at Ravens and at Holmes. Thought is the only teams that stand out on either end are all in the AFC case, He said, These numbers suggest the Bills, Ravens, and Steelers are perhaps better than their overall records indicate on the opposite end, Kansas City might indeed be overachieving. The Chiefs. Ten and oh mark in one score games ties an all time record. If you remember, that record was set a couple of years ago by the Vikings, right, who rattled off like they were like fourteen and three or something like that, and they got beat by the Giants in the opening round of the playoffs at home.

Which wasn't a good Giants no. I mean that first year Daniel Jones gave him a big contract and that was end up being bad for the Giants. So when we talk about the Chiefs maybe being a little overrated, that's why it's one hundred percent true. But what's different, obviously is like that Vikings team didn't have Pat Mahomes and coming off back to back titles, you know, but like.

As we said yesterday, Mahomes didn't do anything to make the Raiders blow a snap exactly, exactly exactly. He didn't block a punt, block a field goal against Denver. Sure, he didn't do any of that stuff. And in both of those games they scored the didn't score a lot of points.

No, I think at Holmes point about raven Steelers bills, because they're slightly above five hundred and one score games might be better than you think. Yeah, you know what I mean. Yeah, I mean sometimes that it does come down to just a bounce or a penalty or whatever, right, you know, and something to everyone's don't have everything he said, the top teams. Yeah, okay, yeah, and again I would love to do three points or less. I mean, if you win a game by seven, you probably controlled a lot of it or you got.

I don't know, the Bengals won by seven last night.

That's a bad example. Or like the Rams, you know, getting this happened at the ball Lasters, you know, so it's some of that sometimes, yeah, or you know, you're up fourteen points, or maybe you're up fifteen points and they get an oh, by the way, touchdown at the end. It like portals garbage time stuff. He was a king of garbage. Yeah, way better for fantasy than the real world.

I had him on my fantasy team that year, and he would have nothing in the first half.

Of the game, oh yeah, because they were bad, and then he'd.

End up throwing for three hundred yards and three touchdowns in the second half thirty.

Yards and no one cares against events like did you really watch what happened there?

Because it wasn't he wasn't good.

No, but you can manipulate the fantasy ward a little bit.

That way, a little bit, a little bit.

Yeah.

So, uh, you know, Steelers get this big game this week against against Philadelphia, And I was talking with Jerry Dulac about this today and we did our post hommel and wrap up show, and I look at this stretch of games a little bit differently now than I did when the schedule came out, Like.

I prioritize this one the least. I don't know if that's where you're going with this or not.

No, I just I'm there's three game stretch where they play Philadelphia Baltimore in Kansas City. When the seat when the schedule came out, I looked at that and boy, oh, that's going to make or break their season. I don't look at it the same way now.

I kind of that's kind of where I was going through, and I just probably phrased it differently, like their seasons kind of already made or broke. I mean it was kind of made, you know, like if they lose bad to Philly and I'm this is not a Steelers operate. But if I'm on the fence about so I play Pickings or not, I really want them two weeks from now. I mean, if you lose an NFC game this week, even if it's ugly, the sun will come up tomorrow, right, you know what I mean? Yeah, But if all of a sudden, the wheels are coming off after this game with injuries galore and Pickens ripped his hamstring or whatever, and it's like, uh oh, because you're gonna get another winner two right.

I mean, here's the thing. If they win two of the last four, they probably win the division.

Yeah. Probably. I know you were fiddling with like the playoffs.

I was looking at the playoff simulators or not the little that's. Yeah, let's say you lose this game this week, but you go two and one in the final three weeks. You take it as long as you even if you lose the Baltimore down there, but you then beat the Chiefs and you beat the Bengals game, you win the division.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, And basically, if you beat the Ravens, you probably win.

The If you beat the Ravens, you've won the division.

Is that mathematically true? That would be the one in three yeah.

Because they can't catch you in the in the division standings, you would have the time you.

Swept them, and yeah, that makes sense. You a two game lead, they can two left, They could get four wins in that stretch one, but you'd be tied.

That would be the only way that the Steelers don't win the division from this point on. The Ravens would have to go four and oh the Steelers would have to go one in three yeah, and lose both of them. Can't and lose both of the division.

Game, right, I see you're saying, right, So if you beat the Ravens, you win the title.

Win the division even if you lose to the Ravens, but you then either beat Philadelphia or Kansas City. You win the division as long as you beat the Bengals in weeks eighteen.

Now, catching the Bills is going to be difficult, right, I mean real difficult. But you're not going to fall to the four seed. You're probably gonna end up with the three seed probably, so something weird would have to happen. Either you're going to run good or bad. Yeah, but you're probably I mean, I'm sure the Vegas oddmakers or Cynthia Freeland or whoever could tell you eighty two percent chance the Steelers end up the three seed and whatever. That number is pretty high. Yeah, it's pretty high.

So it's it's it's not the because the work, most of the hay is in the barn now for the regular season.

Exactly, and winning these division games has been really helpful to.

The fact that you're ten and three right now. I mean I can remember going into this and people, well they better at least have eight wins going into that stright, Yeah, well you do. They've done better than that.

You've got a lot of money in the bank, Like if you were have slipped up against the Bengals or Browns, this would be a much different conversation. Absolutely took care of that business against teams. You know well that I think you're better than. Although Vegas disagreed with us and the Bengal game.

For whatever reason, but they disagree with the Jets too, and that, yeah, make any sense?

Yeah, but no, they're in really good shape. Yeah, I mean you don't. And even if these next four games don't go great, you're one in three and we do power ranks on Tuesday and they're twelve. They're not looking as good as they used to be. I don't know.

If they could fall to twelve, I don't know. I mean, they would be an eleven win team.

You have that bad losses, Yeah, they have to be Eagles and yeah, yah, ten plus point losses.

They haven't had those. I mean that's the thing.

Surprise me. You know, they're a lash of injuries.

They've lost their games by combined eleven points. They're they're you know, they're gonna play the Ravens tight, right the point differential chieftain Blow says that they're a good team. This is a game I think if they blown out, it's this one. Yeah, but that's not really how their ability either. The defense is really good. Yeah, and Philadelphia is a team that wants to run the football.

Yeah, yeah, short game.

It matches up well with what you do well stopping the run.

Yep. Absolutely.

You know this is gonna be big boy football this week. It is.

It is gonna be the rest of the way to Chiefs, our physical team. You know what the Ravens are. You hope that the Bengals game either doesn't matter or they don't care. You know, yeah, go host the game if you had to. You know, hey, we're gonna sit Russell Wilson's got everything wrapp up. We're gonna sit Russell Wilson's game. You could still go out there and win with Justin Fields exactly. I was I've been thinking about that for a while, that how much do you play cam in week eighteen? And maybe Wilson's inactive and okay, you know, somebody suggested on this should you beat the Ravens. Yeah, if you beat the Ravens, you just do that.

Somebody suggested on the message board they should any they should just rest guys this week and just take the loss of the Eagles. I'm like, Hey, they're never gonna do that. Only four games.

Left, and that's not what's going on with Pickens. No, but if it's fifty to fifty, I would lean towards wrestling him for this one.

The way the schedule, I don't even think it's fifty fifty, but I don't think it is.

I think he's just not even closed, right, Yeah, so I don't think he can play this week.

Yeah, that's gonna do it for the show today, Matt, all right, all right, so let's get We'll be back again tomorrow again. You can hear the Drive every day from four to six pm. But for my partner Matt Williamson, for Justin Miller here running the Justin Miller Hotline, and for Tyler Viittmeyer making sure our video gets out there on YouTube. Check that out. I am Dale, Lolly. We thank you for listening to this edition of the Drive on the Steelers Audio Network

SNR Drive with Matt & Dale (Pittsburgh Steelers)

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